Camping Trip Gone Wrong
by MaturePopcorn
Summary: Tails and his friends decide to go camping for his birthday, but multiple people cancel, leaving Shadow and Tails alone at the campsite. A storm rolls in, and the two are confined to Shadow's car for hours, where they learn many secrets about each other, some pleasant, some darker…


Camping

MaturePopcorn

 **Description:**

Tails and his friends decide to go camping for his birthday, but multiple people cancel, leaving Shadow and Tails alone at the campsite. A storm rolls in, and the two are confined to Shadow's car for hours, where they learn many secrets about each other, some pleasant, some darker…

 **Warning:**

Description of self-harm and making out; I didn't know whether to place this in the T or the M category, but I decided to make it M just to be safe.

 **Author's Note I:**

Just some more kissy fluff while I sort out that ShadTails AA story I'm writing lol enjoy~!

~Hannah~

Chapter 001

Tails gripped the doorknob to his front door, hesitating. He took a deep breath and attempted to steady his anxieties, but to no avail; he released the knob from his grasp and turned back to his living room, pacing the room quickly. His nervousness simply couldn't be quenched no matter what he did.

Three weeks ago, Sonic had suggested to the fox that they, along with Knuckles and Amy, all go camping for his birthday that summer. He was incredibly excited, going so far as to pack a week in advance, and was sincerely looking forward to a fun weekend with his friends.

That is, until yesterday.

The blue hedgehog had called Tails to inform him, quite last second, that Shadow the Hedgehog would be joining them on their trip. Tails' heart had immediately fluttered and sank in the same instant. The fox had very mixed feelings about the black and red hedgehog,

Sonic had said that it made sense for Shadow to drive Tails while he drove Amy and Knuckles, but the fox hadn't'd agreed, arguing that it would be more fun for the four of them to go up together. He remembered Sonic's response as clear as day.

"Sorry, buddy, but I already invited him; it would be rude to make him drive up alone."

Tails had stopped arguing at this, not wishing to be impolite to anyone, even Shadow. Now, as the date was finally upon them, he sighed deeply as he waited for the hedgehog's car to pull up. He decided he would stay inside until his friend arrived so as to quell his anxieties a bit.

He called Shadow his friend, but the truth ran a little deeper than that. Ever since Tails had been fifteen years old, the openly bisexual fox had had the biggest crush on the black and red hedgehog in secrecy, and the only person who knew was Sonic. The blue hedgehog had been sworn to secrecy, and the two chatted about it often as a coping mechanism and an outlet for the young fox. Now, at his eighteenth birthday, he had liked the hedgehog for three years total and dared to call his emotion love. He had thought of ways to confess, but they were always to no avail; he simply lacked the courage, and feared Shadow would never reciprocate.

He was startled out of his thoughts as booming music could be heard from outside his apartment. Peeking out his window surreptitiously, he noticed a thin black vehicle had pulled up to his building and was indeed the source of the alternative rock. Tails whimpered softly and made his way back to the front door before, without thinking any further, he opened it and crossed the threshold into the warm summer afternoon.

Walking up to Shadow's car, Tails put on his best smile and attempted to make the best of the situation. His phone was fully charged, and hopefully he could charge it in the car. The ride was a full five hours to the campsite, and he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts the whole time; he knew the hedgehog wouldn't be much for conversation. As he walked up to the car, Shadow got out and called over the music, "I'm gonna smoke before we go," before lighting a cigarette.

" _Can't you at least turn down the music first?"_ the fox thought sarcastically to himself.

As soon as he had finished, the two got in the car and started their journey out of town. They passed downtown, then made their way through sprawling suburbia before getting on a freeway that led to the direction of the mountains. All the while, Shadow remained stoically silent.

About halfway into the trip, the two were crossing a bridge over a river; on the other side lay the foot of the mountains, looming ahead. The road branched off here, with the path they took narrowing from three lanes to just one, and the road itself began to wind forward and back. Tails finally broke the silence here, saying, "So… What have you been up to?"

"Work," came a short reply.

When it was clear the hedgehog would say nothing more, Tails cleared his throat and looked out the window at the mountains, adding to his inquiry, "Well, what have you been doing outside of work?"

"Sleeping, mostly," Shadow sighed, then added, "Or barhopping. Depends on if I'm up for it."

Tails, finding he couldn't relate, attempted to change the subject, saying, "Uhm… Well, things have been pretty okay for me, I've just been going to college and…" The fox trailed off as Shadow, without so much as glancing up from the road, reached over and turned the music up. _"Guess he's still not much of a conversationalist…"_ Eye twitching involuntarily, he yelled over the music, "Do you have a phone charger?"

"No," came a response to quiet to hear; Tails had read his lips just fine, however, and sighed, glancing down at his now dead phone.

" _Man, I can't wait to see Sonic again…"_

Tails reached into his carryon backpack and retrieved a handful of nuts, bolts, and other loose metal pieces that seemed to fit together in specific ways. He began fiddling with it, putting things together and taking them apart again to build various contraptions. The process soothed his anxiety, and with no one to talk to it gave him something to do, now that his "endless entertainment machine" known as a cell phone was out of commission.

The two drove in spoken silence, though blaring rock music filled the car, as they made their way up the twisting mountains. Shadow had left on a full tank of gas, and when Tails asked if they could stop somewhere for snacks, he had simply growled back, "Not until we actually need gas." Now, with still a quarter tank and only a half hour to go, Tails realized he'd have to wait until they got to the campsite to eat. They passed a roadside stand with food and two lone pumps for gas, and Shadow continued driving without so much as glancing at it; Tails' stomach grumbled quietly, and he groaned internally.

After what felt to Tails like an eternity, their car finally pulled up to the campsite they were to use. The fox frowned as he got out of the now parked car. Where was everybody? It wasn't just Sonic and his friends, there was a distinct lack of people in general; in the middle of July, the campsite should have been full.

Shadow seemed to have noticed this too and wasted no time in pulling out his cell phone and dialing Sonic. As the blue hedgehog answered, he put it on speaker and Tails caught what his friend had been saying.

"…Been trying to call for hours. The trip had to be cancelled, guys, the weather is too bad up there."

Crestfallen, Tails looked around as Shadow answered, "I had my phone on silent, and now we're already here." The fox frowned again, this time partially in disappointment, at the fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

" _Weather? The weather here looks just fine…"_

Shadow voiced this concern as well, bringing Tails back to the conversation as Sonic's voice answered through the line, "It might be fine now, but any minute a storm is due to roll on through. That's what the news said, anyway. We can always reschedule for another weekend." He paused before slowly adding, "Like I said, I've been calling for hours-"

"And like I said," Shadow interrupted in a growl, "My phone was on silent. You expect us to drive all the way back now, ten hours round trip? You're reimbursing me for gas."

A sigh came through the phone, and the blue hedgehog responded, "It's not exactly my fault here, but if it'll avoid a fight, I'll give you gas money."

Shadow let out a, "Humph," and Tails tuned their conversation out once more. Tails looked around and noticed, far off in the distance to the west, a thick band of grey storm clouds. They appeared to be moving in their direction, and the fox sighed. For as nervous as he was around Shadow, he had been highly looking forward to this weekend and was seriously upset it had to be cancelled on such short notice. After all, they were already _at_ the campsite; everything seemed to have moved so fast, and the fox decidedly didn't like it.

He sighed and decided to wait for the hedgehogs to finish their squabbling, tuning back in just as Shadow said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. He called to Tails, "I'm going to the bathroom before we go." Less than fifty feet away was a wooden structure labeled "Toilets" and the hedgehog went towards them, swinging open the door and walking inside. Tails groaned; it was going to be a long car ride home.

Tails then shivered. The fox tilted his head, ear twitching, and furrowed his brow in confusion, thinking, " _How can I be cold in July?"_ Then, without warning, a sharp, cool wind blew across his face; the air had been relatively still and warm before, and the fox was bewildered at the sudden change.

Glancing up, Tails quickly noticed the deep grey clouds were now rolling in at an alarmingly fast pace. The soft, cool breeze that had just picked up was rapidly transitioning to a bitingly cold windchill, and light water drops could be seen forming on the ground in front of him.

Yelping, Tails bolted for the passenger seat of the car and attempted to enter before finding it still locked. He yelled, "Shadow!" and ducked behind the car so as to block some of the wind when the hedgehog returned from the bathroom. His calm, neutral demeanor faltered as he glanced around at the situation and he pulled the keys from his pocket, unlocking the vehicle. Then he walked briskly for the driver's seat.

The two had just closed their respective doors when the slight drizzle turned first into a light rain, then quickly into a torrential downpour. Intermixed with the rain were small balls of ice, raining down in the form of hail, and Tails flinched as the first few clinked against the hood of the car. It had gone from a bright, sunny day to a winter-looking storm in mere minutes. Sonic hadn't'd been joking about hazardous weather.

Panting slightly as though out of breath, Tails whimpered. Shadow eyed the fox from the side warily; it was just a storm, why was he acting so strange? Lightning flashed a few miles away, and the fox shut his eyes tightly. Narrowing his own eyes, Shadow tentatively and, uncharacteristically softly, inquired, "Are you quite alright?"

A moment of silence filled the car, followed by the distant rumbling of thunder. Tails groaned, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have anxiety about storms…" Opening his eyes and looking at the hedgehog expectantly, he added, "Can we go now?"

Shadow snorted and answered, "In this weather, down _those_ roads? I think the fuck not. We're staying right here until this passes." Lightning flashed again, marginally closer this time, and the look in the young fox's eyes turned to desperation.

"Please, Shadow, we can't stay here!"

The hedgehog shot back a, "Humph," before reclining his seat all the way back, indicating he had no intention of starting the car. This earned more whimpers of protest from Tails who anxiously stared out the window, watching hail and rain bounce off the building in front of them.

Seeing the nervous fox, Shadow felt a sort of compassion he rarely handled and sighed deeply. For some unknown reason, he felt the need to comfort his friend. He growled softly, "Hey," before clearing his throat; he was so accustomed to growling that it was hard to speak softly. He continued in a whisper so as not to upset Tails, "It's fine. We're safer here than we would be driving in these conditions, you know that."

Tails groaned in response, "Yeah, I guess… I just really hate storms, okay?" Shadow shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes. He took one out, along with a lighter, and was about to light it when the fox beside him indignantly yelled, "Don't smoke in the car!"

Shadow yelled back, "Don't raise your voice at me! And it's my car, I'll do what I want." With that, he lit the cigarette and hit it, and smoke quickly filled the car. Tails glared as he began coughing, a little heavy-handedly, in an attempt to make the hedgehog guilty. This didn't work, however, as Shadow merely looked away out the window and continued smoking, ashing the cigarette in his car's ashtray.

Tails sighed and, breathing in the thick white smoke, exhaled, "Why do you smoke, anyway?"

Silence filled the car for a moment before the hedgehog slowly answered, "I don't know. It's just something my friends all did when I was a teenager."

Tails snorted, allowing his emotions to spill freely as he cursed, "Sounds like you had crappy friends."

Caught off guard by the fox's rare use of foul language, Shadow nearly ashed his cigarette onto his jeans on accident. Tails _never_ cussed. Recovering, he simply growled back, "I don't hear from them anymore, anyway."

For some unknown reason, the fox decided not to push the situation any further. He knew not what secrets the hedgehog held and decided that he would tell them in his own time, when he was ready to.

The moments stretched by in agonizing silence once more, and Tails decided he couldn't be cooped up in the car anymore. Having to go to the bathroom, he announced to Shadow, "I'll be right back."

Shooting his arm towards the fox at surprising speed, Shadow grabbed Tails' wrist and the fox took in a sharp intake of breath followed immediately by a yelp. He practically screamed, "Ow! Not there!" before yanking his arm out of the hedgehog's grasp.

Narrowing his eyes, Shadow growled, "Don't leave the car in this storm, I thought you were smarter than that. And what do you mean, 'not there'? I grabbed your arm."

Tails widened his eyes in fear as he realized what he had said, and he quickly shot back, "N-nothing, you were just rough, that's all."

Unsatisfied with the fox's answer, Shadow put out his cigarette in the ashtray and pursed his lips back, practically snarling, "Rough, my ass; I barely touched you."

Tears began to well up in the fox's eyes, and the hedgehog blinked in surprise. It hadn't'd been his intention to upset his friend, yet his emotions had gotten the better of him once again. As a single teardrop rolled from Tails' eye, landing on the seat below, Shadow did his best to softly whisper, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rough."

Letting out a humorless, nervous laugh, Tails sniffled and responded, "No, you weren't that rough, it's just…" He trailed off here, as if unsure of how to phrase his next sentences. More tears rolled down the fox's cheeks. Blinking, Shadow held his tongue and simply waited for his friend to continue until finally, Tails drew a shaky breath and said, in a barely audible whisper, "Shadow, what I'm about to tell you… I've never told anyone. Not even Sonic." He allowed this to sink in before continuing, "I'm really trusting you here."

The hedgehog nodded in response and whispered back, "I won't tell a soul."

Tails closed his eyes and gripped his left arm shirt sleeve with his right hand, drawing it back less than an inch. Already Shadow knew what the fox was indicating, and he let in a silent gasp of air, holding it in his lungs. As the fox lifted his sleeve all the way up, past his elbow, he turned his arm so as to reveal his wrist. Shadow slowly released the pent-up oxygen and narrowed his eyes in a deep concern. The underside of the fox's forearm was severely cut up, red and white lines both old and new alike running lengthways and sideways in a sort of crossroads pattern. One of the lines running horizontally, closer to the fox's wrist, was still bleeding as though he had cut it this morning.

Shadow stared, speechless. Tails had always seemed like such a happy and upbeat person; what reason could he have to harm himself so horribly? What demons did he possess? He found himself speaking against his better judgement, asking, "Why would you ever…?" before trailing off. When Tails shrugged slowly and refused to meet his eyes, the hedgehog flashed anger in his own eyes. Raising his voice, he practically yelled, "Tails, who hurt you? I swear to God I'll kill whoever would lead you to do this."

Tails flinched at the volume and shakily responded, "No, I swear… I had a normal childhood, and nothing bad happened to me. I just… I was so hopelessly depressed, and once I started, I couldn't stop; it's been years…" he trailed off before allowing sobs to wrack his body freely. He felt marginally better having shared his secret, yet couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. Nobody, not even his closest friend, knew this about him, and he had just shared with the man he secretly loved. He felt like his whole world was crashing down around him.

The hedgehog, still not entirely sure of what to do, tentatively placed his hand on the fox's shoulder. Tails flinched at first, then relaxed at the gesture and allowed Shadow to put his arm around his shoulder. The two then sat in dead silence, save the occasional sniffle from Tails, for what seemed like hours.

Shadow reflected on his own life in this time. His conservative upbringing, his borderline abusive friends… He realized that his problems couldn't simply be ignored and ran from, and that eventually he would have to "man up" and face them head-on. He reflected on his romantic life, and how abysmally his previous relationships with women had gone; he knew the reason he could never seem to hold onto a girlfriend for more than a couple weeks, and maybe it was time to finally stop running from his issues and confide in his most trustworthy friend.

"Tails," the hedgehog began softly. Tails was taken slightly aback by how gentle his words were as he continued, "Since you've trusted me so much today, perhaps I can trust you as well with a secret of my own." He paused to collect his thoughts and, sighing as though to appear apathetic, he stated bluntly, "I think I might be gay."

The fox balked at this. He had never suspected that _Shadow_ of all people would be interested in men. He timidly replied, "I-I see," not sure of what else to say. Wiping the tears from his face, he continued with the question, "Does anyone else know?"

Shadow snorted, "Of course not," and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, preparing to light another as he added, "And it's gonna stay that way for right now."

When this was all he received in the way of an answer, Tails then asked, "Well, why did you tell me?"

Pausing, Shadow plainly stated, "I was tired of living in fear, and after what you told me, I guess I trusted you," before finally lighting the smoke and puffing it. Tails nodded, satisfied; he felt honored to be, of all other people, the hedgehog's secret keeper.

Thunder rolled from outside as silence filled the car once more. Tails began fiddling with his collection of parts once more, and Shadow smoked quietly, alone with his thoughts. Why _had_ he told Tails? Sure, he was a little tired of keeping his secrets private, and he certainly trusted the fox; yet it felt as though there was more to it then that… He took another puff of his cigarette as he realized that, in repressing his sexuality, so too had he repressed his true feelings for his friend. He glanced at Tails, who didn't seem to notice, and said in an unusually unsteady voice, "There may have been another reason I shared such a deep secret with you."

Tails stopped fidgeting his hands around the parts and looked up, a nonthreatening curiosity in his eyes. "What might that be?" he asked, genuinely interested.

Shadow found he couldn't make eye contact as he replied, "I guess I actually told you because I might like you a little?"

Tails' face registered multiple emotions, including shock, joy and confusion. The hedgehog couldn't help but snicker at the ridiculous face he pulled, and the fox found himself sputtering without thinking, "I-I think I like you, too." Shadow widened his eyes, nearly dropping the cigarette. He hadn't'd expected his emotions to be reciprocated in anyway, and had merely been sharing secrets for the sake of clearing his conscious; he knew the fox could be trusted, and had simply wanted to get some things off his chest. The fox shook his head violently and added, "No, I don't _think,_ I _know._ I've known for years."

Shadow ashed his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. He whispered unusually quietly, "So have I, I think."

Tails frowned. "Then why do you treat me the way you do? You're always so cynical and rude… It kinda hurts."

Shadow winced internally; it had never been his intention to hurt the fox. He responded, in a notably softer voice than usual, "It's just how I am. Plus, if I was nice to _just_ you, people would get suspicious. I can't come out to everyone just yet."

"But why not?" the orange fox inquired curiously. "I'm out as bisexual, Silver's out as gay; and you know everyone would support you. What's stopping you?"

"I'm just not ready, alright?" Shadow growled, dropping his voice back to its original volume. Tails dropped the subject at this, deciding not to push his friend any further.

Not wanting the car to be filled with silence again, Tails blushed slightly as he inquired, "Well, since we both like each other, what do you want to do about it?"

The hedgehog blinked, thankful that the darkness of the storm covered his own flush cheeks. "I…" he said, stumbling over his own tongue. "I don't know; what do you think we should do about it?"

Tails' face grew even redder as he feebly asked, somewhat rhetorically, "Well, what do most couples do when they're alone?"

Shadow widened his eyes. He knew the fox was most likely referring to making out, yet he couldn't help it when his mind wandered elsewhere… Shaking his head as if to clear his mind back to the present, he then realized that Tails had called them a _couple_. This surprised him, though he found himself rather happy at the thought of actually dating the fox. He whispered back his answer, each syllable leaving his mouth carefully and precisely. "I suppose couples kiss when they're alone together."

Tails simply nodded and glanced away, not able to meet the hedgehog's eyes. "Would you want to, then?" he asked in a hushed tone. Shadow nodded back, and Tails' heart leaped, skipping several beats; he couldn't believe it. What had started as a simple camping trip had turned into a confession and now a kiss, and Tails was eternally grateful that Sonic had invited Shadow after all. Tails tentatively leaned his head in, and Shadow followed suite without another word.

As the two drew closer together, lightning struck down not terribly far from the car, with thunder rolling in less than a second later. The light illuminated their faces, revealing them both to be flush with color, and Shadow panicked as he realized his cover of embarrassment was blown. Rushing, he pushed his face forward and practically smacked his face into Tails', who yelped through a closed mouth; he dared not open it now, for his lips were pressed firmly to Shadows'.

The two stared deeply into each other's eyes and realized they were both full of love and passion. Shadow tentatively placed a hand on Tails' shoulder, and the fox responded by wrapping his arms around the hedgehog, feeling Shadow's broad back muscles with his hands. He sighed through his nose, then breathed in deeply; the hedgehog smelled like cheap cologne and cigarettes, and Tails found it intoxicating.

Shadow opened his mouth slightly as an invitation to go further, and Tails obliged, parting his lips and slipping his tongue inside the hedgehog's mouth. They began making out, more passionately than before, and both found themselves not wanting to stop. Tails, embracing Shadow, tightened his grip slightly and moved forward until he was practically on his lap; the physical contact excited the fox, and he hid a small bulge that formed in his pants. _"Now's not the time for that… Not yet…"_ he thought, wiping his mind of the thought and resuming his attention to the kiss.

The kiss continued for eleven minutes.

Finally, as though out of breath, Shadow finally uncoupled from the fox and leaned back; his friend's arms now rested on his shoulders, hands freely hanging behind. Panting, he inquired bluntly, "Well, was that good?"

Tails laughed between breaths, responding, "I'd say so." He swallowed, breathing in the lingering scent of his friend and potential lover. "Uhm, I have a question," he said after a small silence.

Shadow breathed back, "Shoot."

"Did _you_ enjoy the kissing?"

Shadow laughed, harder than he'd laughed in a while; he even thought he might be overdoing it, but the fox's cute mannerisms were too much for him to handle. After a while, he managed to compose himself and replied, still giggling, "Of course, dork. I loved that."

Tails leaned back, smiling. He was content, happy even, until…

"Uhm…" Tails began again, still panting. "I have another question for you, actually."

The hedgehog repeated once more, "Shoot," curiosity glinting from his eyes.

The fox's stomach, as if on cue, grumbled loudly as he asked in a steady and amused voice, "Do you have any food? We never stopped for snacks." Shadow laughed at this and opened the center console, revealing trail mix and energy bars. Tails indignantly huffed, "You had snacks this whole time and didn't tell me?"

"I, uh… Forgot until just now."

"Likely story," the fox snorted, happily grabbing a bag of trail mix. He wasn't truly upset; he was just glad to finally have something to eat.

About an hour passed, in which the two held a nice conversation about Tails' life in school and Shadow's failed attempts at barhopping; the hedgehog had said, quite relieved, that he was glad he didn't have to do that anymore, now that he had a boyfriend. The two had decided they _would_ date, though in secrecy at first; the fox decided that his new boyfriend would come out of the proverbial closet when he felt ready to, and he wouldn't pressure him any further.

The rain outside petered down to a drizzle once more, and blue sky could be seen poking through the clouds. Lightning had not struck in at least half an hour, and as Tails gingerly opened the car door, he saw the sun appear from behind the clouds at last. This, "horrible weather," Sonic had mentioned had lasted barely an hour and a half.

Shadow got out of the car as well, snorting as he voiced Tails' thoughts out loud, "What softies, they could've easily ridden that storm out."

Tails sighed as he stretched and made his way over to the bathroom. He called, "I'll just be a minute, then we can head out." He went into a stall, did his business, and came back out to a smoking Shadow.

The hedgehog said, somewhat disappointed, "Well, if Sonic and them hadn't'd been in charge of packing the tents and stuff, I'd consider staying here just the two of us." His cheeks flushed once more and he turned away as he added, "But when we get back, you can come over to my place and hang out for a bit. If you'd want to…"

Tails nodded, beaming. "I'd love to! After we stop and get some real food, though." The fox giggled, and Shadow smiled softly at his new boyfriends' cute mannerisms. They got in the car, and drove home; this time, the music was turned down low as the two made pleasant conversation the whole way.

 **Author's Note II:**

Sorry for the shitty, short ending, but I hope the rest of the story was good! Meh whatever, I genuinely hope y'all enjoyed it. 3


End file.
